SATURDAY 14th
Scriptures for today are found within the devotion
We are about to leave Galatians and move into Ephesians, in fact yesterdays devotion was going to be the last in Galatians, until I spent some time just reviewing it in my thoughts and decided to add in just one more.
As I reviewed the book and the various topics that come out from it, I was reminded of certain things that are essential to the life of the local Church and I will seek to sum them up here.
I will list them in an order different to how they may appear in the epistle and only a brief mention will be made for each one, these are some little extra bits of food for thought!
1) The importance of sound doctrine. Galatians 1:6 ‘I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—’
Paul is making this very point by the very fact that he is writing this letter to the believers, sound doctrine is essential to the spiritual health and well-being of the local Church. The whole thrust of the letter shows us how quickly the believers were being side-tracked because something was being taught that was not the true gospel. There will always be difference of opinion on what we would call the non-essentials of the Christian faith, but there must always be agreement on those things which are essentials, for example, the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of this, the sound preaching and teaching of the Word of God is an essential part of Church activity.
2) The importance of the message of the Cross. Galatians 6:14 ‘But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.’
I think that you have known me long enough now, even though we have been in lockdown for so much of the time since I arrived up here in the North East to know how important I believe the message of the Cross and the resurrection is to the Church, it should regularly be the focus of our preaching for without the work of the Cross we are nothing. Along with this is the reason why a regular coming together for communion, to share in the emblems together is important. It helps to keep us Christ and Cross centred. In fact, in this very epistle, Paul talks of the Cross life, ‘I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.’ (2:20)
3) The importance of belonging. Galatians 2:9 ‘. . . and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.’
This Scripture is one that is often used in a service where individuals are brought into the membership of a local Church, the right hand of fellowship, signifying a joining together of individuals to a mutual cause, in this case the local Church. It is the sign that one on the one side has committed themselves to the local Church, that is for mutual support, encouragement and fellowship and the other agreeing party in this case the Church, welcomes the person into the local fellowship. I personally believe that being a part of a local Church is an important part of living out our Christian faith, and membership is the step we take to affirm our fellowship and agreement with a local Church which becomes our spiritual home.
4) The importance of support. Galatians 6:2 and Galatians 6:10 and Galatians 6:6
‘Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.’
‘So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.’
‘Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.’
These three verses all in some way are referring to the mutual support and care that the members of a local Church should have for one another.
5) The importance of being Spirit led. Galatians 5:25 ‘If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.’
Just as we need to keep in step with the Spirit as individuals, so we should also as a collective body of God’s people who fellowship together in a local Church, as we have been brought together because of the Cross, as we seek to be built up together through fellowship and the preaching and teaching of the Word, it should all be done through the enabling help and power of the Holy Spirit.
6) I close with an important sixth point, no direct verse in Galatians, but we know from elsewhere in the teaching of Paul how important this topic was to him and that is the important subject of prayer. A local Church needs to be a praying Church, maybe although the word prayer is not mentioned, we can attach prayer to Galatians 6:2 ‘Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.’ For one of the ways in which we bear one another’s burdens is by taking each other to the throne of grace, in prayer to find help in time of need. ‘What a friend we have in Jesus . . . what a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer.’